Corn harvester



March 27, 1945. VH, HAHN I 2,372,569

CORN HARVESTER .Filed Aug. 9, 1941 j INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 27, 1945 .Herman.J. Hahn,lNapleon,.Qhio..assignnr\to The 'Oliver ',.Coifporatiom a corporation. of, Delaware ,JApplicatonlugust 9, 1941,?'SerilNa 406,124

'Q11 Claims.`

'l'llhemresentinvention#relatesfgenerallytoeorn 4"l'iarvesters, but l'more1particularly to =a noveland improvedfeonstruotion of snapping rolls "-andiassociated mechanism forf cornipiekers and'huskers.

l L'Ihe primaryfobj'ect 'of "thefpiesent invention visrto=provider-a. novel `fand vimproved -`ear -snapping andfconveying lmechanism *for 1 a y-corn Apiekerfand ito jthe '-husking 1mechanism. i

-Af still further 'obj ect 'kof theinventionistopro- 'vide a novel 'and improved vear asnapping'meenanismifor'cornvpickerfandmusker inwhichra snapping roll "provided' With'a spirally 'arrangedmember cooperates with an endless chain'in such 'a` ymanner`-that 'the spiral "of the `roll 'conveys 'rear- `4wardy and upwardly Aat a 'different speed .than thato'fthe'chain Ls`o asfto effectively rotatefthe y"ear :of corn VJin "the loperation rof snapping the "same from vthe stalk.

A vstilljfurther object'oftheinventionisito provide a :novel and improved ear snapping mechanism for cornharvester in which along'itu'dinally extending forwardly inclined isnappingno'll .is provided with a spirally .arranged coil .wliihis 'adapted ,to cooperate with an endless..chain vdriv` en at a rate of speed vrelatively "faster tthanllthe travel of .the ,coilon the roll so as Lto electively revolve the ear duringtits .rearward movement to elec't .the snapping ofthe ea1,from thestalk.

These and other objects 4are accomplished by providing .a construction and .an .arrangementrof 'the various parts in the manner hereinafter described andparticiilarly `pointed `outin .the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Eig .1 isairagmentary top .plantview of .a corn .harvester vshowing .my improved ear nsnapping mechanism. embodied therein; l

(Fig. A2 is anvenlarged v.cross `sectional view stelten `on theline v2-.2 `Ain Fig. l; fand jFig. 3 ,is .affragmentary 4side .elevational view of .the l .constructionfshown in fEig. 1 :of -.the-draw ang.

.For the purpose .of illustration, .I have :shown my improved ear `snapping :mechanism ,-for `icorn harvester in connection with twollongitudinally .extending .and.-forwardly ,inclined .-frame or. snep- 1ping.rollangle members 22 Aand :34. At spaced .intervalsalongthe tangle member 22 rarefsnbstann.tially Z-,shaped :brackets yIl :which havetheiriver- .ticall-y extending .legs l5 secured .to .theanglefzf iby ,means .of .bolts .123.v The '.frameu member r3,11 fis .laterally `spaced from Jand vertically nbelow the l (CLIM-1.07)

"framemember, At'spacediintervalsalong the angle memberlllare f Z-fshaped brackets l lll-which have 1their vertically extending legs H4 secured y'totheangle member34=by `meanseffb'lln 3B. "Loe5 cated substantially in thelongitudinal centerlbe- "tween 'the 'iframe fmerribers 2`2 fanfdffi'd is fmyfimproved form 1 of snappingroll, generallyin'dicated xby the reference ycharacter f. 'Embracing the 'roll {l is a :spirally arranged fred Jor'=sp1`ing 1.1

other'. 'The snappingroll `I 6 yis'iournaledin suitable bearings #lli :and i9 slocated -at fthe fforward and rearwarden'ds respectively of fthe `roller.

i The forward `end fof 'the roll T6 'iis :provided A-wlth lef-pointed yextension e203. 'The -`pointed extension liszprovided with 1a spralextension* 2i! fof'y the spiral :rod or `,wire il 1. `-Positioned above and Vparallel :'to the snapping roll angleor-rame member Z2'v is :a second angle 'member *24. 'The mangle' member '20 .'-2-4 `lis lheld inxspaced yrelation #withfrespect `to lthe .angle -member f2-"4 lby 'means #of -tbular Aspacing `:members 1 2 5 f and ibo-lts 2li. :These angle members :A1-2 and 24 iform `a guide f or channel withinewhich `ateonveyo'r endlesselevator chain 12'! isadapted fzito ttravel. lIhe-chain *21 is trained about upper :antilower sprocketwheelsZS and 2-`9 erespectively. At suitableiintervals along'the chain 21 -are 'lat- .ferally projecting conveying llingers 30 fformed on certain links of f the 'chain f2-1. These fingers fare 3U providedwith upwardly 'extending llugs 3| 'which :engage ithe inner surface of 'the lower=legofithe .anglernemberzllin guidingthe chain longitudi nally of and parallel lto the snapping rolls "F6, Positioned .below :the conveyor `chain and' extend- '35 .ing parallel Y'to `the vangle member 22 is a -plate for isheet :iron member f 32 over vlwhich fthe 'ears rof corn :are conveyed towards the rear or =delivery end iof the :snapping roll. "Secured 5to the upzwardlyvextending legs )t2 "and lf3 of the `respective brackets ITD and H are theusual {gathering shields :3-3. The :vertically spaced apart 'brackets IU are secured to angle frame members "Bland .35. @ne of '.theang'le 'members 34 lis vsecured by r.InearS fof bolts yang1e-members "4 `tare; further .held in spaced apart -`relationwith :respect fto seachrother Zby lmeans `Aof Ibolts 31. P0- fsitioned intermediate the langle members' T34 and 35 L:is a :third 'angle Amember 3'8. lvThese angle members are secured in position bymeans of spacertubes .3'9 and intermediate muts "4U mount- :ed ;in threaded 7engagement :with 'lthe "bolts ill. .'I'he ipositioning 4of fthese 1angle V.members `@35 *and :f3.8 :iform 5in effect kan vIIe-shaped lrecess for 'the travel of 'the aLeshaped iugm -formedoncertain 55 of ,the links 12 :of fthe snapping chain 1,43. The

chain 43 is trained about upper and lower sprocket wheels 44 and 45 respectively. The sprocket wheel 45 is secured to a shaft 46 `iournaled in one of the frame sections. Secured to the under surface of the horizontal leg of the angle member 34 is a right angularly bent stalk protecting member or shield 46. Positioned below the outer laps of each of the chains or conveyors 21 and 43 are supporting plates 41 and 48 which are suitably connected to the frame structure in the manner well understood in the art. Positioned below and forwardly of the sprocket wheel 45 is a gathering chain 45'. The rear portion of the 'chain 45 is trained about a sprocket wheel (not shown) secured to the sprocket wheel shaft; 46. The forward end of the chain 45 is trained about a second sprocket wheel 41. The' chain 45' is vester comprising a frame, said frame including two longitudinally extending inclined laterally provided with four equally spaced apart gather- Y ing iingers 4S for gathering in the corn stalks. Secured to the shaft 46 below the sprocket wheel 45 is a stripper cam 49 which has two lobes arranged and timed to strip the stalks from and in advance of each of the spring fingers 48'.

The novel features of the present invention embodies the relative rear travel speed of the snapping roll chain 43 with respect to the rearward travel of the spiral l1 on the snapping rolls I6. In this connection, the travel of the snapping chain 43 in its rearward and upward direction is substantially faster than the rearward movement caused by the pitch of the spiral l1 so that when an ear of corn is engaged by the chain 43, it is actuated at a sufficiently faster speed as to cause the ear to rotate about its attachment to the stalk and thereby twist the ear therefrom so as to provide a more ecient ear snapping mechanism. To state it in other words, the pitch or inclination of the spiral l'l on the roller I6 is such that it moves the stalk of corn rearwardly at substantially the same speed that the whole machine moves forwardly. At the same time, the chain 42 moves rearwardly at a substantially faster speed than the machine moves forwardly, thus causing the ear of corn to be revolved or twisted with respect to the stalk in snapping it therefrom. Obviously, the speeds of these parts, i. e., the differential speed of the chain 42 and the spiral Il, may be such so that the speed of the spiral conveys the corn stalks rearwardly more rapidly than the chain 42 moves rearwardly so that such differential speed of these parts as above indicated, would, of course, accomplish the same result.

While in the above specification I have described one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will of course be understood that the same is capable of modification and that modification may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. An ear snapping mechanism for a corn harvester comprising a frame, means for conveying stalks and ears of corn rearwardly with respect to said frame, and means engageable with one side only of the ears of corn, for revolving said earswith respect to the stalks for snapping them therefrom.

2. An ear snapping mechanism for a corn harvester comprising a frame, and continuously and rearwardly moving means having a differential speed for revolving the ears of corn with respect to its stalk for snapping the same therefrom.

Y V3. An ear snapping mechanism for a corn harspaced apart sections, a spirally ribbed roller mounted between said sections, means for rotating said roller for conveying stalks and ears of corn rearwardly at a certain speed, an endless chain located adjacent to said roller, and means for driving said chain for conveying said ears rearwardly at a relativelyfaster speed than said roller for revolving the ears of corn with respect to the stalks for snapping the same therefrom.

, 4. An ear snapping mechanism for a corn harvester comprising a frame, said frame including two longitudinally extending inclined laterally spaced apart sections, an inclined snapping roller mounted between said sections, bearings mounted on one of saidsections in which said roller is journaled, a spirally arranged rod secured to the peripheral surface of said roller, means for driving said roller, an endless chain mounted on the other frame section and positioned in cooperative relation with respect to said roller, and means for driving said chain, the conveying speed of said chain being greater than that of the rearward travel imparted to the ear of corn by said spiral whereby the ear of corn is rotated with respect to the stalk to snap the same therefrom.

5. An ear snapping mechanism `for a corn' harvester comprising a frame, said frame including two longitudinally extending inclined laterally spaced apart sections, an inclined snapping roller mounted lbetweensaid sections, bearings mounted on one of said sections in whichsaid roller is journaled, a spirally arranged rod secured to the peripheral surface of said roller, means for driving said roller, an endless chain mounted on the other frame section, the inner lap of said chain positioned at one side oi' and above the axial center of said roller, means for driving said chain, said chain having a greater rearward speed than the rearward conveying speed of said spiral for imparting a twist to the ears of corn engaged thereby for snapping them from the stalks.

6. An ear snapping mechanism'for a corn harvester comprising a frame, said frame including two longitudinally extending inclined laterally placed apart sections, a spirally ribbed roller mounted between said sections, means for driving said roller for conveying the corn stalks rearwardly at a certain speed, an endless chain mounted on one of said sections and to one side of and above the axis of said roller, and means for driving said chain whereby the ears of corn are to move rearwardly at a relatively faster speed than the conveying speed of said roller for rotating said ears with respect to the stalks for snapping them therefrom.

7. An ear snapping mechanism for corn harvester comprising a frame, said frame including two longitudinally extending inclined laterally spaced apart sections, means mounted on one section for conveying ears and stalks of corn rearwardly, means f or driving said irst`named means, means mounted in substantially the same plane with said first named means and on the other section for conveying said ears rearwardly at a different speed, and means for driving said last named means.l

8. An ear snapping mechanism for corn harvester comprising a frame, means mounted on said frame for conveying stalks and ears of corn rearwardly with respect to said frame, means mounted on said frame having an accelerated speed and cooperating with said rst named means to revolve said ears to snap vthem from said stalks, and means for driving both of said first named means.

9. An ear snapping mechanism for a corn harvester comprising a frame, means mounted on said frame for conveying stalks and ears of corn rearwardly with respect to said frame, an ende less chain mounted on said frame and engageable with said ears for imparting a rotating motion to said ears, and means for driving said first named means and said chain.

10. An ear snapping mechanism for corn harvester comprising a frame, means mounted on said frame for conveying stalks and ears of corn rearwardly with respect to said frame, an endless chainmounted on said `frame and engageable with said ears for imparting a rotating motion to said ears, means for driving said first named means and said chain, a gathering chain positioned forwardly of and driven by said first named chain,

spaced apart iin-gers carried by said gathering chain, and a revolving stripper located at the rearward end of said gathering chain for stripping said fingers.

11. An ear snapping mechanism for corn harvester comprising a frame, said frame including two longitudinally extending inclined laterally spaced apart sections, a spirally ribbed roller mounted between said sections, means for rotating said roller for conveying the stalks and ears of corn rearwardly at a certain speed, an endless chainlocated adjacent to said roller, and means for Idrivingsaid chain for conveying said ears rearwardly at a relatively different speed than said roller for revolving the ears of corn with respect to the stalks for snapping the same therefrom.

HERMAN J. HAHN. 

